The St. Louis Cardinals are determined to trade third baseman Nolan Arenado this winter. Heck, they were determined to do so last offseason, but John Mozeliak failed to get the job done. Chaim Bloom has already discussed Arenado's future with him, and it's clear he won't be in St. Louis next season.
To his benefit, Arenado has been more willing to listen to Bloom, knowing full well which direction the Cardinals are heading. Bloom is a retool artist. He's done it in Tampa Bay and Boston. St. Louis knew exactly what they were getting into when they hired Bloom, which gives them a sense of direction they lacked while trying to trade Arenado last winter. Now, they have the ultimate trump card.
Brandon Nimmo, of all players, gave Cardinals another excuse to trade Nolan Arenado
The New York Mets traded Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers in exchange for Marcus Semien this weekend. The deal included two bad contracts, but in sending Nimmo and his no-trade clause elsewhere, the Mets opened up a corner outfield spot (which they can pursue in free agency) and ridded themselves of a longer deal when compared to Semien's.
Nimmo was a career Met and beloved by the fanbase, but coming off a down year. At 32 years old, the New York native isn't getting any younger and thus, likely not any better. He had a .760 OPS last season, down from his career average of .802. Once Nimmo knew he wasn't wanted in Queens – which the Mets front office clearly discussed with him to get him to waive his no-trade clause – he wasted little time.
"I could have had a pretty good chance of having a number in the rafters, but that's not, that's not what it all means to me. I would honestly rather win a World Series," Nimmo said of his trade to the Rangers. Nimmo knows the Rangers might not be a World Series contender next year, but is willing to wait around a couple seasons for Texas to revive their postseason hopes, per Bob Nightengale.
Brandon Nimmo, who had been with the Mets his entire career with a home in St. Lucie, Fla., says he would not have accepted a trade to the Texas Rangers if they weren't planning to be a World Series contender again in the next few years. He was told they will not be in a rebuild
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) November 24, 2025
Nimmo's perspective is refreshing, and a test case Bloom can definitely use to his benefit when convincing Arenado to accept a deal elsewhere.
Which teams might be interested in a Nolan Arenado trade?
While Nimmo could be in decline on the wrong side of 30, Arenado almost certainly is. Arenado had a 1.3 bWAR and .666 OPS in 2025. His OPS+ has declined every season since 2022. While Arenado is still a capable defender at the hot corner, he also hasn't won a Gold Glove since 2022, and he has 10 of those to his name.
The best fits for a player like Arenado might be teams on his no-trade list at this juncture. That is, teams he consider contenders or big-market spenders when he signed his contract. The likes of the Tigers, Diamondbacks, and Angels could all be in search of a third baseman.
The Tigers, for one, tried to acquire Alex Bregman last winter and had one of the lowest third base OPS in MLB last season. If Arenado were open to it, they might be his best chance at landing on a winner. The Diamondbacks dealt Eugenio Suarez at the trade deadline, and haven't found a suitable replacement since. However, both Arizona and Anaheim missed the playoffs in 2025. Is this really the best outcome for Arenado?
Either way, Arenado's trade market should heat up later this winter when the likes of Alex Bregman and Eugenio Suarez, among other free agents, have already found a new home. Depending on which teams land those stars, others left in the cold could get desperate for a veteran third baseman with an All-Star pedigree. Arenado may not be that level of player at this point in his career, but he'd still be an upgrade for the three teams mentioned.
Heck, if the Boston Red Sox or Philadelphia Phillies fail to land a big name in free agency, even those front offices could be persuaded to trade for Arenado to save face. But after Nimmo willingly waived his no-trade clause to go to a team a few years away from contention, Arenado has little excuse not to do the same.
He's not wanted in St. Louis. Frankly, that should be enough.